Category: Carpet

Carpets are not a small expense. The truth is that it may be one of the biggest expenditures that you make. Keeping your carpets clean can be the single biggest factor in providing for the longevity of your rugs.

Dirt–believe it or not–is sharp and may actually cut the fibers of your rug. Vacuuming regularly can help to remove a good portion of the built up dust and dirt, but it cannot prevent the fibers of the carpet from tearing due to the ground in or excessive dust or dirt.

If you clean the carpets before they become too badly soiled, not only will the cleaning task be more easily accomplished but the carpets may also be saved from excessive wear and tear. You can prolong the life of your carpet simply be cleaning it regularly or by having it professionally cleaned regularly.

The prevalent myth seems to be that cleaning your carpets too frequently will actually wear them out more rapidly. In reality the reverse is true. In most cases, unless you are using heavy brushes that are damaging to the rug, the carpet can only benefit from being cleaned. The dust and dirt that is introduced into the carpets, as mentioned, can cut the fibers. In addition, pollutants that are carried into the house from outside are not only damaging to the occupants of the home in that they may be toxic, but they are damaging to the fibers of the carpet. In some cases, pollutants that are carried into the home on the soles of shoes can cause carpet fibers to break down dramatically, damaging the carpet extensively.

The best method of making sure that your carpet gets clean and stays clean is a steam cleaner with a more natural cleaning solution. These might include things such as lavender oil added to plain water, which breaks down dust and can actually kill some types of bacteria.

Using a mild vegetable soap in your cleaning along with an anti foaming agent will be another way to naturally clean carpets, kill germs and remove odors from the carpet without introducing chemicals that may also be toxic to children and pets.

Regardless of what you use to cleanse the carpet, making sure that the greatest amount of water possible is removed from the carpet is a necessity. Keeping the rug damp over a long span of time will serve to multiple bacteria, may introduce mold or mildew growth and other allergens into your home.

Remove as much water as possible from the rug and then run a fan over the surface of the rug until it is completely dry.

Today we take carpets in the home for granted, but things weren’t the same 100 years ago. Even as carpets became more popular in households, they weren’t as convenient as the durable fibers that we have on our floors today, and cleaning them was nowhere near as simple as what we’re used to now.

Next time you’re shampooing your carpet with the rug doctor, or taking the vacuum around the home, why not spare a thought for yesteryear and how your great grandparents might have kept their carpets clean at the turn of last century.

Vacuum cleaners are as much a part of modern homes as knives and forks, but in 1869 the technology available didn’t even come close. The first patent for a rug cleaning device was made in this year, and it wasn’t a vacuum cleaner. The bleeding edge of technology at the time was a sweeping machine that used hand pumped air through a wood and canvas body.

In fact even by 1899 the best we had was a vacuum cleaner powered by a combustion engine, and it wasn’t a household device. Affluent families could pay $4 per visit for this vacuum cleaning service. That’s over $100 in today’s money when you take inflation in to account, and as such was hardly affordable for the average household.

It would take until 1907 before the world saw the first handheld vacuum cleaner. A soap box, pillow case, and an old fan motor provided the vacuum assembly, and the concept was patented in 1908. As primitive as the design was, the basics were there, and within a year William Hoover had acquired the rights to the patent and was mass producing affordable in-home vacuum cleaners by 1919.

From humble beginnings the vacuum cleaner has come a long way. Today we have centralized vacuum units for homes, featuring ports in every room. Vacuums also evolved to include air filters which stop fine dust and particles from re-entering the air. There are even bag-less vacuum cleaners which will pull the dust from your carpets and upholstery, with no mess and virtually no dust re-reentering the home.

Next time you’re running the vacuum over your carpets, spare a thought for the invention that made it so easy. Without the vacuum cleaner many of us wouldn’t have carpets in our homes today, and without carpets we wouldn’t have the comfortable, well insulated, and great looking interior spaces that help us to enjoy our homes year after year.

Homeowners turn to carpeting for a floor covering many times today. It provides warmth in the winter to any room it is in, but it can be quite tricky to clean. For the most part today, manufacturers coat the carpeting with a stain resistance substance, while it is being made. This does not always guarantee that the carpeting is completely stain proof. Homeowners often have their carpeting cleaned professionally occasionally throughout the year to keep it is prime condition, but in between these cleanings they have to contend with stains and spills. There are numerous commercial products to remove spills and stains on the market today, but you also have some of the best solutions right on your kitchen shelves.

You need to test for colorfastness before you use any cleaning agent on your carpeting. Take whatever cleaning agent you choose and place on a small area of your carpet in a place not out in the open. Let the solution for around 20 minutes before removing it. If color comes off the carpet, it means it is not colorfast. You will need advice from a professional carpet cleaning company.

Stains Caused from Red Wine

There are a number of ways to removes stains in the carpet caused from red wine and you may already have the ingredients you need in your kitchen.

Your best bet for carpeting with this type of stain is white wine. It neutralizes the color in red wine, so you can more easily remove the stains. Just pour a bit of it on the stain and blot the excess liquid up with a clean towel. You should not rub the stain since it will spread the stain deeper down into the carpet. Club soda will also work if you have that instead of white wine as it will prevent the stain from setting until your find another solution to use on it. The carbonation from the club soda will lift the red wine stain and prevent it from soaking deeper into the carpet.

When the stain can still be seen, mix some lemon juice, white vinegar and cream of tartar together. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar with just enough vinegar or lemon juice to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the stain and let it stay for about 60 minutes. Thoroughly rinse the paste off the area. Vacuum the area to remove any powdery residue that could be left.

Stains Caused by Tomato Products

Stains of any kind are a concern, but those from tomato products can be some of the most difficult to get out of your carpeting. Ammonia is ideal for this kind of stain. Ammonia is a popular all-purpose that effectively removes many types of stains, but it produces strong fumes, so you should make sure the room is ventilated well before you use it.

When a spill first happens, sprinkle it with table salt or kosher salt thoroughly covering the affected area. The liquid is absorbed by the salt, while you get your next items to help clean the carpet. Combine 2 tablespoons of ammonia, 1 tablespoon of liquid detergent and 8 ounces of hot water together and pour the mixture onto the stain. Use a towel to blot up as much of the liquid as possible and keep this up until the stain disappears. Rinse the area with cool water to eliminate the smell of ammonia. If there is still any stain at all left, use the lemon juice/cream of tartar mixture we gave you above. Place a dry towel on the spot and place some weight on it to dry the carpet once the stain is removed.

Pet Odor and Stains

Many solutions for removing pet odor and stains are sold today. You will find some the work successfully, while other ones you will be disappointed with, but both types can be expensive. The largest problem with stains caused by pets is the fact that you may get the stain out completely, but the odor lingers on encouraging you pet to pee or defecate in that area once again. Vinegar is the most effective and safest ingredient to use to remove pet odor from the place where the stain was to keep your pet for using that area again because of the smell of urine.

Take some paper towels and blot up as much of the liquid as you can. Then combine 1 cup of warm water and 1/4 cup of vinegar together, apply it to the stain, and work it gently into the fibers. Remove any excess liquid with a wet vacuum or with towels and then repeat the procedure. Keep doing this until the entire stain is gone and you cannot smell any odor. Once the carpet is completely dry, shake some baking soda over the area and let it sit for 2 to 3 hours. Then vacuum the baking soda off the carpet and this will remove any leftover odors. Let the water and vinegar mixtures stay on the carpeting for at least 30 minutes before removing, when the stains are dried-in ones.

Stains Caused from Makeup

Makeup creates stains that are difficult to remove from carpet, but most of them are removable with the right procedure and product. Many of the commercial spot removers will work, but there are also other ways if you do not have any of these on hand. For instance, hydrogen peroxide is effective at removing liquid makeup such as foundation. Dishwashing liquid will work at removing lipstick or mascara. All you need is this liquid and a white, clean towel. The solvent in any one of these products helps to dissolve the proteins using in the makeup, which helps you remove the stain. When the stain is persistent, use about a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol on the stain and then blot with cotton balls or a clean, folded towel.

Most of these tips for cleaning stains will work on a number of different stains. Laundry or dishwashing detergent will eliminate many kinds of oil-based stains and the cream of tartar is ideal for cleaning other items besides carpeting. Make sure to work from the outside in when removing stains as this will prevent the stain from spreading to unaffected areas. Remember that the older a stain is the more difficult it is to remove. Apply salt on a fresh stain immediately even when you cannot clean it thoroughly right away. There is nothing that will replace a professional, deep cleaning, but these stain removers will work in between these deep cleanings to keep your carpet attractive.